Cold nuclear fusion rates in condensed matter: A phenomenological analysis

The rate of nuclear fusion of d-d hydrogen isotopes in condensed matter is estimated. The authors calculate the probability for tunnelling in a model in which the interaction between two deuterons is described by tailoring a screened repulsive Yukawa potential with an harmonic potential. The fusion rate is established quantitatively as a function of the screening length R_s and the deuteron separation R₀. It is shown that a fusion rate larger than 10^-23 (s*deuteron pair)^-1 can arise in a domain given approximately by R₀+14.3R_s<or=2.9 in atomic units. The actual parameters for deuterium embedded in Pd lie far outside the range required for the above fusion rate.